(a) The Commissioner of Agriculture may cause all neat cattle and all goats in the state to be tuberculin tested by a licensed accredited veterinarian at the expense of the state or by a veterinarian employed by the United States Department of Agriculture or by a veterinarian employed by the Department of Agriculture. The owner of any such herd to be so tested shall provide assistance and proper restraint for confining the animals for and during the application of said tests. When said commissioner has determined the condition of such animals by physical examination and tuberculin test performed by said veterinarians, each animal reacting to such test shall be immediately segregated from the animals not reacting to such test by the owner thereof and each animal reacting to such test shall be appraised as provided in section 22-288 and shall be disposed of and the premises upon which such animal has been kept shall be cleaned and disinfected within fifteen days thereafter, subject to the approval of the commissioner or his deputy or any authorized agent of the commissioner. No animals shall be added to the herd until such premises have been so cleaned and disinfected and inspected and approved by the commissioner or his deputy or any authorized agent of the commissioner. Any animal reacting to such test which has been disposed of as provided by this section shall be paid for by the Comptroller, provided funds shall be available for such purposes and provided the animal reacting to such test and disposed of shall have been approved by said commissioner as a proper addition to the herd.

(b) Surveillance tests may be performed by a technician trained by and under the supervision of the State Veterinarian and employed by the Department of Agriculture, provided no condemnation shall be made on the basis of such surveillance tests. The owner of any herd to be so tested shall provide assistance and proper restraint for confining the animals for and during the application of such tests.

(1949 Rev., S. 3346; 1959, P.A. 637, S. 2; 1961, P.A. 67; February, 1965, P.A. 32, S. 1; 1971, P.A. 4; 872, S. 446, 448; P.A. 77-267, S. 1; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-10, S. 7, 20; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 146(e), (f); P.A. 04-189, S. 1; P.A. 10-32, S. 82.)

History: 1959 act replaced commissioner of agriculture with commissioner of agriculture, conservation and natural resources; 1961 act replaced commissioner of agriculture, conservation and natural resources with commissioner of agriculture and natural resources; 1965 act required that owner provide assistance and restraint for animals being tested and prohibited adding animals to herd until premises are clean, disinfected, inspected, etc.; 1971 acts allowed veterinarians employed by state department of agriculture and natural resources to administer tests and later replaced commissioner and department of agriculture and natural resources with commissioner and department of agriculture; P.A. 77-267 added Subsec. (b) re surveillance tests; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-10 amended Subsec. (a) to make commissioner's duty under this section a discretionary power; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 replaced Commissioner and Department of Agriculture with Commissioner and Department of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 04-189 repealed Sec. 146 of June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, thereby reversing the merger of the Departments of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective June 1, 2004; P.A. 10-32 deleted reference to Livestock Division and made technical changes in Subsec. (b), effective May 10, 2010.

See Sec. 22-388 re periodic testing of livestock for infectious diseases.